ExpressCard not available on new notebooks?

[janaf]

I have a PXI 1033 and 8360 card and am looking for a new laptop but it does not seem there are any?!?

Is the ExpressCard standard already dead?

Can someone recommend a new laptop that has an ExpressCard slot, tested with the 8360 card?

Preferably a laptop with a 15" screen or smaller.

Thanks in advance

[janaf · Accepted solution]

Talking t myself here but it seems 2011, the Dell Latitude series have ExpressCard slots...

[Robert__R]

The Dell Precision M4500 and M6500 also have ExpressCard (M4500 has ExpressCard 34, M6500 has ExpressCard 54, either works).

- Robert

[FixedWire]

Bringing an old thread back but what's the solution to using a PXI chassis when the ExpressCard slots are not available? There was only USB to ExpressCard converter we could find & it only supports USB enabled connections.

Suggestions are appreciated. The laptops can't be exchanged.

[MagnusAF]

I have the same question. Posted a new thread:

http://forums.ni.com/t5/PXI/Mxi-over-usb-3-0/td-p/3105557

[janaf]

Sorry, you are probably out of luck.

The PXI works as an extension of the PCI / PXI also for external PXI boards in an external mainframe. Ie the connection required is a type of PCI / PCIe bridge / extender. The devices in the external mainframe must be recognised by the computer as PXI / PXIe units at boot time or drivers won't work. 

The "native" ExpressCard slot is a direct extention of the internal PCIe and will therefore usually work. Usually, because the PC / laptop must ALSO have a BIOS that recognises external PCI/PCIe devices. Many newer laptops and stationary PCs from major manufacturers like HP and Dell support this.

An ExpressCards that connects via a USB port (external or internal) will never work. 

Your options are

- Use a PC with PCI / PCIe slots (and BIOS support for external devices) + PCI / PCIe extension card

- Use a Laptop with native ExpressCard slot and BIOS support + PCIe extension card

- Use a controller in the PXI rack

Perhaps your laptops have some un-used internal slot to mount an ExpressCard slot?

(The above is untess things have changed recently)

[janaf]

Sorry, you are probably out of luck....

The PXI works as an extension of the PCI / PXI also for external PXI boards in an external mainframe. Ie the connection required is a type of PCI / PCIe bridge / extender. The devices in the external mainframe must be recognised by the computer as PXI / PXIe units at boot time or drivers won't work. 

The "native" ExpressCard slot is a direct extention of the internal PCIe and will therefore usually work. Usually, because the PC / laptop must ALSO have a BIOS that recognises external PCI/PCIe devices. Many newer laptops and stationary PCs from major manufacturers like HP and Dell support this.

An ExpressCards that connects via a USB port (external or internal) will never work. 

Your options are

- Use a PC with PCI / PCIe slots (and BIOS support for external devices) + PCI / PCIe extension card

- Use a Laptop with native ExpressCard slot and BIOS support + PCIe extension card

- Use a controller in the PXI rack

Perhaps your laptops have some un-used internal slot to mount an ExpressCard slot?

(The above is untess things have changed recently)

[FixedWire]

Thank you for the quick reply.

It would be good for NI to layout a gameplan for customers that doesn't involve a controller twice as expensive as a laptop as a solution. Unfortunately mindsets don't change very quickly and the perception is still to control things with a laptop for portability. Laptops are getting replaced by tablets and further limiting connections with the outside world. We could soon be dealing with devices that only have one micro USB on them.

Perhaps there's a way to create a USB3.1/Type C port replicator designed for connecting items engineers need. i.e. RS232, control PXI etc. Just throwing some ideas along. 10GB throughput will handle a lot of IO.